The February Epistle: All is Well

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor who ruled from 161 to 180 A.D.  He was the last of the rulers traditionally known as the five good emperors.  He came to power near the end of the Pax Romana, an age of relative peace and stability in the empire.

Marcus was something of a philosopher, and wrote what are known as his “Meditations”.  These are musings seem to be for his own consumption, talks that he might have with himself.  Many of them describe ways to deal with circumstances and people, and the daily stresses that come even to an emperor.  In one passage Marcus writes, “Consider when you are much vexed or grieved, that man’s life is only a moment, and after a short time we are all laid out dead.”  His encouragement to himself is that when trouble comes, put it into perspective. Life, really, is short. What does this one vexing thing really matter in the end?

The musings of Marcus Aurelius sound rather similar to those of Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes.  Solomon wrote, “A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left” (Ecc 10:2).  The “wise man” for Solomon is the one who trusts in the Lord. The “fool” is the one who does not know or fear God.  Marcus was not a Christian. Rome had a pantheon of gods. Even so, another of Marcus’ thoughts was, “If there is a god, all is well; and if chance rules, do not thou be governed by it.”  In other words, if there is an all-powerful God (and I think here he also means One who is predisposed to be good and gracious), then we are in his hands, and all will be well in the end. If there is no God, then we are ruled by chance, but order your life so that you are not governed by it (chance).  The gods for Marcus, though there were many available, were distant and unconcerned with his welfare. He says, in effect, “I don’t know if there really is a God or not.” Solomon, who knew God, writes, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc 12:13).  

The right context for all that vexes or grieves us in this life actually is to put everything in perspective.  But whose perspective? What perspective? Solomon has it right. Fear Yahweh and keep his commandments. How does Solomon know Yahweh and Marcus does not?  The answer? Revelation. Solomon in all his wisdom could not divine on his own what he knows of the God of the Bible. God had to reveal it. And during this Epiphany (revealing) season, we meditate on who Jesus is and what he has come to do.

Each of our lives has its highs and lows, its ups and its downs.  So what wisdom do we have for the times of vexation or grief? I would tweak Marcus’ words just a little.  Because there is a God, all is well. Don’t look within yourself to find peace in troubled times. Look up!  Look to the God who made you, who knew every one of your days before one of them was written (Psalm 139). Trust in God who himself took on flesh to deal with the problem of sin, the cause of every vexation, who journeyed to the cross to take on death itself.  Only with our eyes on Jesus can there be real peace in this grievous and vexing life.

The hymn by Horatio Spafford puts it well:  

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way; When sorrows, like sea billows, roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.

And, Lord, haste the day when our faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trumpet shall sound and the Lord shall descend; even so it is well with my soul.  

He lives – oh, the bliss of this glorious thought; My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul, it is well, it is well with my soul.

May God’s peace be yours, even in vexing and grieving times, because of the deep love that God has demonstrated toward each one of us in the great epiphany of Jesus Christ our Savior, our friend, and our Lord.  Amen!

- Pastor

January is The Sanctity of Human Life Month

It’s easy to get lost in the slew of national celebrations.  In January alone, one could recognize National Hobby Month, National Kazoo Day, or the domestic season of Home Re-organization. However, a much more consequential issue demands our attention. January is the Sanctity of Human Life Month, during which we remember that all people are made in the image of God and deserving of protection. Centered around the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s January 22, 1973 Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion, we take this month to educate ourselves on the issues, confess the sanctity of life, and uphold the existence of every person.

We live in a time in which death has been allowed, even heralded, as the solution to many a problem in society. It’s the answer to women’s every hurdle to success, security, and happiness. It’s the response to a wasting disease or painful situation near life’s natural end. Death has become a goal, a business, and a rallying cry to so many in America.  As LCMS President Matthew Harrison recently stated:

Life, not death, is the goal of humanity. History testifies that death is never the means through which justice and human rights prevail. We do not advance on the graves of our children. Germany, which sought eugenics as the solution to problems, now has strict abortion laws. To defend and support life is the goal of every just government, and the right to life is the hallmark of a good society.

Since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of legalizing abortion in 1973, over 61 million young lives have been lost under these laws. And while there have been legislative achievements since then, new laws passed this very month in New York and Illinois have pushed the bounds of legalized abortion even further, right up to the baby’s due date.  In addition, at the other end of life, seven states and the District of Columbia now allow physician assisted suicide.       

Armed with a solid understanding of the issues, much can be done to stand up for life. Each year near the anniversary of Roe v. Wade hundreds of thousands gather for the March for Life in Washington DC and at satellite marches around the country. Since legislation is critical to  changing the landscape of legalized forms of death, it is important to communicate the pro-life message to our state and local representatives. As Rev. Harrison said,

“We cannot stand silent when people elected to positions in which they are to protect citizens continue to pass laws and advocate for legislation that undermines the sanctity of human life. Our conscience is bound by both the Word of God and reason to speak for life as a precious gift of God and to speak against any and all who promote the killing of unborn children. We cannot hide the evil of these laws under the banner of “rights” or “privilege.” Children’s lives are at stake. They cannot speak for themselves. We will speak for them, and we will work to protect their lives.”

Finally, as Christians called to love our neighbors and share Christ’s saving gospel, we can reach out to those most affected by these issues. There are many local and national organizations working to support women and families in crisis, as well as those who have had abortions, without compromising the lives of the unborn. And as society trumpets “Women’s health” and “the right to choose,” we can be a public witness for the sanctity of each life, created in God’s own image. We can confess the truths of scripture as the psalmist writes,

For you formed my inward parts;
   you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
Wonderful are your works;
   my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
   intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
   the days that were formed for me,
   when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16)

Let us continue to pray to our Heavenly Father, who creates and sustains all life, that the light of the Gospel may be known in the world and comfort those who are in need.

If you’d like to learn more about Life Issues and ways to get involved, check out these links below.

Read LCMS President Harrison’s recent full statement.

Learn how local organizations make a difference, like Alternatives Pregnancy Center and Focus on the Family’s Options Program.   

Join the efforts of national groups working toward change, like the National Right to Life and Lutherans for Life.

The January Epistle: Happy New Year

Did you celebrate the new year?  Did you sip some bubbly or blow a noisemaker or whoop it up in some other way along with millions across the nation and around the world?  If so, why?

We watched thousands in Times Square on New Year’s Eve standing together in the rain with friends and family watching carefully the count-down clock and anticipating with great excitement the drop of the 12,000 lb crystal ball signaling the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019.  Why? Why did they make that trip and stand there expectantly in the rain? For that matter, why did we watch?

We celebrate with people everywhere the coming of a new year.  Is it because we have high hopes for the good things that may happen in the future?  Is it because there are events that have happened in the past year that we’d like to forget?   I’m sure that, to some extent, both are true.

And in this time of looking back and looking ahead, in the in-between, comes Epiphany, the revelation, the revealing of God in the flesh, for you and for me.  Our first Gospel reading in the new year is the visit of the wise men from the east. We heard of the shepherds who were stunned by the opening of the heavens and the angel speaking to them in the night sky surrounded by a multitude of the heavenly host.  His words reveal just who this little baby born in Bethlehem is. Mary and Joseph and who knows how many others heard their amazing tale after they worshiped the baby. And now, a little while later, as Mary is pondering all of these things in heart, there’s a knock at the door of the house, and outside is some sort of entourage of wealthy, learned men, rich gifts in their hands, asking about the King of the Jews.  And as they share their story and worship the young child, again his identity is revealed, that the kingdom of this child king will extend even to the Gentiles, to you and to me.

As we move into the new year, we might picture ourselves with our backs to the past, bravely facing the future, chin up and full of hope.  The Jewish way of looking at it is a little different. For them, we move into the future by backing into it, facing the known past. I like that a lot.  It means that the glimpses that we have of our future lie behind us. We see there a baby in a manger – angels, shepherds, a Christmas star, and wise men seeking the “One born King of the Jews.”  We see the Lamb of God, climbing the hill to Calvary, carrying his cross and the sins of the world. We peer back 2000 years and see an empty tomb, and a scene of disciples gazing into the sky, and two angels again, assuring them that Jesus will return again from heaven.

There might be more than a few things that occurred in this past year that we’d like to forget, maybe things we’ve said or done that we’d like to escape.  But as we swap out a new calendar for the old one, remember that these are not the things that define us. Rather, what defines us, what lifts us up on eagles’ wings (Isaiah 40:31) is His eternal love for us.  The apostle John writes, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” As we look back on our own shortcomings we can rejoice that each one is taken care of, each sin is forgiven.  His loving purpose is revealed in the baby in the manger, the sinless lamb “born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.” His love brought Gentiles to worship the Christ child then, and His love has brought you to worship Him today.

Because of His love, you are a child of God.  That’s something to remember each day as we back into this new year.  Keep your eyes on the manger, on the cross, on the empty tomb, and even on the skies.  Perhaps 2019 will be the year of His glorious return!

Happy New Year!

- Pastor

The December Epistle: Something to Sing About

I’m looking forward to Christmas Carols.  I like to sing them. I like to hear them sung.  They always bring to my mind Christmas images, like the picture of Mary and Joseph, peering down at the miracle child in her arms.  There are a few animals nearby, some also gazing peacefully at the Christ child.

Other images that come to mind when I hear Christmas carols are like Christmas cards – hillsides of leafless trees, the ground covered in snow, and a sleigh gliding easily along, the only sound a bell jingling and the muffled clop of the horse’s hooves.  Peaceful scenes.

Have you noticed the definite trend away from meaningful Christmas carols in the stores these last years?  I used to enjoy hearing the carols over the speakers and humming along and thinking about peaceful things while we shopped.  But it’s hard to be peaceful while “rockin’ round the clock” to Jingle Bell Rock (over and over, I might add).  

The devil, of course, is quite pleased with the slow slide toward the complete secularization of Christmas (“Christ-mass”).  He would be thrilled if the holiday (“holy-day”) became completely “Christ-less”. Don’t play Christian carols, as they might offend someone.  Stop displaying the manger scene at City Hall and put up something inoffensive, like Santa’s workshop. Don’t have a baby Jesus Christmas pageant in school, or sing Silent Night, or any other song that describes the true meaning of Christmas.  And so, little by little, Christ is taken out of Christmas.

But the devil will be sorely disappointed in the end.  As long as the Christian church exists, it will celebrate the humble birth of our Savior in Bethlehem.  And that church will always exist, because Christmas itself is God’s doing. All of history led up to and looked forward to the coming of the Christ child.  What that child would do in his life, death and resurrection for our redemption, would change the future for all who put their trust in him. Kingdoms may crumble, and one tyrant after another may come to power, but the words the angel choir sang to the startled shepherds on the hills outside Bethlehem that sacred night will continue to be sung.  The story of the angels’ words to Mary and Joseph, their travel to Bethlehem, the visits of the shepherds and the wise men and other details of the Christmas story will continue to warm the hearts of Christians until the angels herald the Christ’s return in glory.

It’s ironic that the child whose birth was wrapped in joy and peace would die in the opposite manner, amid shouting and mocking, beaten and whipped and nailed to a Roman cross like a criminal.  “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). The Wise Men came seeking one born king of the Jews, and Pilate placed this exact placard above Jesus’ head on the cross.

Jesus is our King, and he has brought us peace – peace between God and man, the peace that comes from sins forgiven and our broken relationship with God restored.  So sing those Christmas carols and tell the blessed story of the birth of our Savior in the stable in Bethlehem that starry night so long ago.  YOU are part of that story, as one for whom Jesus died and rose. This is YOUR story, since YOU are who he loved and reason for his coming. His death and resurrection are for YOU, bring forgiveness and life and a restored relationship with God to YOU.  YOU have eternal life in his name, and that’s something to sing about!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

O holy night! the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope- the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

O holy night O night divine!

Have a blessed and peace-filled Advent and Christmas season!

- Pastor Vanderhyde