Saving Christmas

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

Back in the winter of 1975 or so, I recall a terrible snowstorm hitting all of Minnesota smack dab at Christmas time. With lots of snow, wind and terribly icy road conditions, the storm threatened to ruin our Hanson family Christmas. At that point in my life, Christmas still meant: 1) all my siblings got home, 2) we had creamed rice, Swedish fruit soup, Christmas cookies and opened presents on Christmas Eve and then 3) we drove over to Appleton on Christmas Day for fun at my cousins’ farm. Christmas was family, food, presents and fun! And the awful storm threatened all of it that year.

But my father completely saved the day. My father wasn’t about to let some sissy storm wreck everything. He bundled himself up in his old yellow Chevy pickup, tossed in some extra blankets, a small space heater and a scoop shovel, and drove all the way to Minneapolis (120 miles!) to pick up both my sisters and a wimpy boyfriend too scared to drive in a little winter. I don’t recall how long the drive took, but it was long, slippery and nerve-wracking according to my sisters. And when he finally got them all home, he then went over and picked up my grandmother Gilma. Everybody home and everybody safe! It was a wonderful adventure, but things got even more exciting on Christmas Day. Turns out it got so cold and icy, the only vehicle that would start was my father’s truck. If anything, the weather was even worse. I recall serious Christmas morning deliberation in the house about the wisdom of attempting the last 30 miles to Appleton for the annual celebrations. But eventually, Mom and Grandma climbed into the front of the truck with Dad and all six of the rest of us piled into the back with parkas, sleeping bags, blankets and a space heater. And off we went! It was wonderful. It was the best.

I don’t remember anything about that Christmas, not even the precise year in which these events occurred. I don’t remember the food we ate, the presents we got or what I did with my cousins that year, but I will never forget my father saving the day...

My father came through for us when our Christmas came under attack.

But then again, Christmas is always under attack, isn’t it? Storms of political correctness seem to work harder every year to steal this day from us. It is almost cliché for people like me to rail against the storms of political correctness attacking our celebration of Christmas each year. And yet it is a grim reality we encounter. It is a threatening storm.

But I don’t think that’s the worst storm threatening Christmas. Christmas is also threatened by our increasingly materialistic Christmas traditions. People trampling each other at WalMart to get the latest electronic gadget for Christmas has also become a sad, stormy cliché Christmas concern of ours. But that isn’t the worst storm either. We can weather that – bad economies have a wonderful way of clarifying what truly matters.

No, I believe the worst Christmas storm we always face is our own Jesus apathy. I’m not nearly as worried about the storms of political correctness and Christmas materialism as I am about my own apathy. Because I’m familiar with the old story, because I’m an old Christian now, and because Christmas is just another day after all, I forget what a very big deal it was for Jesus to give up everything, come to earth as a humble baby born to poor parents and bring salvation to us all. I forget why it matters so much that we set aside a few days to celebrate his coming. I forget how Jesus saved us all at Christmas!

So every year at this time I make a decision to save Christmas. I encourage us all to take some time this month and resolve to blast through whatever storms and snowdrifts you must in order to properly celebrate this epic moment in our history. And don’t just save Christmas for yourself; ask God to help you save it for your whole family. Where’s the fun in a Christmas party without the friends and family, right?

Thank you Jesus for saving Christmas! Thank you so much giving us Christmas!

Amen.

For The Beauty Of The Earth (Psalm 107)

In 1864 this man, Folliett Pierpoint, had a very simple poem “For The Beauty Of The Earth” published in a second edition collection of hymn lyrics in England. Sung to a tune written 30 years prior, it became his most well known hymn.

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth,
over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
this our hymn of grateful praise.

It is a beautiful little song walking humbly through life and intentionally thanking God for all the good things He gives us. The song isn’t sung much anymore because of its repetitive tune and many, many verses, but apparently, this guy just had a lot to be thankful for! We are gently reminded to be grateful for nature, for human love, for church, for Jesus and for all the other things our loving God chooses to give us. It is true we all have much to be grateful for.

It is true – we do have so very much to be grateful for. And yet there is one thing for which we must be grateful beyond all else. Open your Bibles to Psalm 107. This psalm, like many others, was an anthem used to lead the people to worship. Scholars speculate as to when it was written but it is most likely this was a hymn composed after the Israelites returned from exile in Babylon. There is one grateful theme running through the whole thing...

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for humanity, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for humanity, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for humanity. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.

Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for humanity. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.

He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground, and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there. He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow; he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste. But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks. The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths. Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so! Speak up for what matters most!

I have been redeemed. I have been rescued. I have been bought back from the pit at a very high price. I have been set free. Exponentially more important than anything else I’m grateful for, I am grateful for my redemption. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!

A few weeks ago, I declined to participate in an interfaith thanksgiving service here in Northeast Minneapolis. While I genuinely enjoy working together with brothers and sisters in other denominations and I understand the importance of interacting and maintaining relationships people of other faiths, I wasn’t interested in participating in any sort of religious service which would not allow me to very explicitly express my gratitude to Jesus for my redemption. Sure, I can participate in things without mentioning the name of Jesus, but why? Why would I muzzle myself about the single most important engine of gratitude in my life?

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!

My redemption is at the very core of my gratefulness. Jesus Christ is my redemption. I am grateful for countless blessings from God, but the single most important blessing is the precious blood shed for me on the Cross – the price for my freedom. This ancient psalm tells the story of my life and yours. In many ways, I was wandering in the desert, hot and thirsty, and God delivered me. In many ways, I have been locked up in prison darkness and Almighty God broke my chains. In countless ways, I have been a prodigal suffering the fruits of my rebellion and the Forgiving Father sent His Word to me and welcomed me. In all sorts of ways, I’ve been tossed around on the ocean and Almighty God calmed the storm. I have been in all sorts of bad places and God has constantly brought me back. I have been redeemed.

Give thanks to God; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!

I am grateful for the blessings of being born American. One of the many reasons I enjoy road trips is the country I get to ponder as I drive by. I get to drive on relatively smooth, well maintained roadways in my temperature controlled, fuel efficient car; listening to music, sports or the news of the day on my radio or CD player. At any time along the way, I can stop and enjoy any kind of meal or entertainment I wish. And now I have a little GPS device which keeps me from getting lost in even the most confusing of places. I love, I adore my country. I love almost everything about this country. We are staggeringly blessed to live in this place.

But countries come and go, don’t they?

I love my family. I love my wife, I love my girls – I’m going to thoroughly enjoy our Thanksgiving time together this week, even though it pains us Tesia won’t be with us. I love my parents and my brother and sisters. I love being together with them. While no family is ever perfect, I love my family. I am wildly grateful for my family.

But families come and go, don’t they? We are blades of grass appearing for a while…

I love my job. While many aspects of what I do are difficult and demanding, I love being paid to do something I care about. I love studying the Bible. I love teaching. I love seeing the lights come on when the Holy Spirit moves in someone’s life. I love seeing people jump forward to practice what we’re all preaching here. I love my job.

But jobs come and go, don’t they? Even church jobs…

Our gratefulness must be rooted in something exponentially deeper than the material blessings God allows us to enjoy. Our gratefulness must be driven by our redemption. I am grateful I am allowed full access to God. I am grateful for the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I am grateful for forgiveness. I am grateful for the door flung wide open for me by the Cross. I am grateful for the first resurrection, for by it we anticipate our own resurrection.

Give thanks to God; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!

Last week, in our Leftovers In The Lounge Bible study, we came across Ephesians 2:11-12, where the Apostle Paul encouraged his friends to remember what they were before Christ found them, before God redeemed them and grafted them into His family. Don’t forget how things really were before your redemption. Don’t forget what it felt like to be on the outside looking in – separated from the source of life. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew people were frequently told to remember what it was like to be slaves in Egypt or to be wandering in the wilderness. God did not preserve instructions like these that we might continue to wallow in the guilt of what we once were. God simply calls us to remember what we were so that we will be properly and eternally grateful for we now have – persistently grateful for our redemption.

Give thanks to God; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!

Stop hiding your source of hope from the world around you. Stop holding gratefulness hostage to superficial stuff that doesn’t matter. Stop diluting the true source of delight.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!

In the book of Job, we find a man with fewer reasons for earthly gratitude than almost anyone in the Bible. A good man, praised by God himself, caught in the middle of a mostly inexplicable spiritual battle between God and Satan, Job lost everything of value. He lost every blessing for which most of us will gather around the table this week. He loses all possessions, friends, health, family, status – he lost everything. Yet right in the middle of his suffering, right in the middle of his deprivation, Job said something stunning. In Job 19:25, he said “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.” I know I have a Redeemer and I know when all this junk is over, come what may, my Redeemer lives! Another translation of this verse reads “I know that my Defender lives, and that in the end he will stand upon my grave.” Frankly, I don’t know how all this earthly stuff is going to go, but I know I have someone on my side and when I die, when I am laid down, He will stand up for me.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so! Speak up this Thanksgiving for what really matters for eternity. Always be prepared to give an account for the hope that is within you. Focus on what really matters this Thanksgiving and speak up! Shout the praises of our God! Shout the name of Jesus from the rooftops! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!

I was lost and now I’m found. I have been redeemed and I am grateful for it.

We have been given the beauty of the earth and the glory of the skies. We have been bathed in the love of God from birth. We have been blessed beyond all possible measure. And beyond all that, we have a Redeemer and we know in the end he will stand upon the earth!

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth,
over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
this our hymn of grateful praise.

Amen.

Persevering In God (Romans 8:18-39)

Last weekend, my friend Pat McCurdy went to visit some of our mutual friends. One of those friends is a woman who keeps a small herd of goats on her little place in the woods. Pat spent a few minutes there befriending goats and helping out a bit. But hilariously, just as Pat turned his face directly into the face of one particular goat at his shoulder, that bloomin' goat chose that very moment to sloppy sneeze into Pat’s face! How about that? How funny is that? My friend Pat innocently goes to visit friends, helps out a little and he's rewarded with a face full of goat snot. Now that just isn’t right, is it Pat? That ain't the way things are supposed to go! (Sure is funny though!)

Isn't that sort of how things go sometimes? How do we overcome when life is constantly blowing snot in our faces? As the Apostle John shared his great revelation of the end, eight times he said “those who overcome” will receive good stuff from God. And in his first letter, 1 John 5:4-5, he said “everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only [those] who believe Jesus is the Son of God.”

How do we overcome the world? How do we persevere when all the world around us gets so very nasty, mean and gross? I’ll tell you exactly how – keep coming back to God. We keep embracing what we know to be true about Jesus. We keep on trusting God loves us and has a glorious plan for our lives that wonderfully transcends the momentary difficulties we face.

This is not just church talk. This is the very foundation of our peace – the driving force behind our ability to persevere and overcome the world around us. Listen to the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:18-39:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What a wonderfully vivid description of the overcoming, persevering life of the believer! There are countless ways we could pick this passage apart, but there are four truths I believe Almighty God would have us park and meditate on this morning. We overcome, we persevere only to the degree we embrace four realities of the Christian life.

Eyes On The Prize

And the first of those realities is that we overcome, we persevere in life to the degree we are able to keep our eyes on the prize. To the degree we are able to say, along with the Apostle, that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory one day revealed.” We persevere when we take the long view of all things. We have our eyes on the prize.

Were you aware traffic in Seoul, South Korea is about to get just a tiny bit worse? Can you imagine stuffing even one more car into that mess? Well, it’s all a moot point now because just this week a 68-year old woman named Cha Sa-Soon finally passed her driver’s test on her 950th attempt. Yup, you heard me – 950 attempts! She has been taking the test almost every day since April 2005! And do you know why she has been so freakishly persistent? She needs a driver’s license for her little vegetable selling business. She’s got her eyes on the prize.

That’s the kind of people we’re supposed to be – a people for whom the prize we’re looking forward to is absolutely worth whatever difficulty we must endure to enjoy it.

Groaning Together

The second persevering reality we embrace is discussed by the Apostle in verses 19-25. We understand we are all, creation included, groaning together as in the pains of childbirth. We understand, better than anyone, that the whole creation is enduring something difficult. While the birth pangs will still hurt us as they do anyone, while we will still absolutely suffer, we aren’t surprised by it all. We groan together. We are prepared. We were told us these things would happen. We can persevere because we know these things must happen. This thing isn’t just about us! God isn’t singling us out for punishment or pain. God is moving all of history where all of history must go. The whole earth has been subjected to what we’re enduring.

Comforted and Called

But we are not left alone in all this. We have not been left as orphans. In verses 26-30 of this passage, the Apostle reminds us that we have a Comforter and a calling. We are not alone here and we are not without purpose. This is the third enormous reality enabling us to persevere and overcome. We have the Holy Spirit helping us in our weakness. We have the Holy Spirit helping us form the very words of the prayers empowering us. We have One who knows the mind of God guiding us into the wisdom and power of God. And not only do we have a Comforter – we have a Comforter constantly reminding us of our calling – God’s great purposes in all this. God’s hand is in all this. We persevere because we know we can trust God to properly comfort and make good use of us in all the difficulty and birth pangs gripping us.

We are comforted and we are called. Because of this, we persevere and overcome.

Convinced and Connected

But the fourth and final reality is the most powerful. Paul says we are able to persevere and overcome to the degree we keep our eyes on the prize, to the degree we remember we are all in this thing groaning together, to the degree we allow the Spirit to comfort and remind us of God’s calling. And as we do all these things and move deeper into God, we will persevere and overcome as we become increasingly convinced of our connections to God. At a certain point, we will begin to embrace all the glorious things the Apostle enjoys at the end of this passage.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thirty five years ago, Michele Squires had her 1965 Volkswagon van stolen after she left it in a repair shop to get a bed installed in the back. Miraculously, on October 19th of this year, customs agents discovered the same van in a shipping container headed for the Netherlands. In pristine condition, the van could now be worth more than $25,000. Michele wants it back. She has always wanted it back. She may have some hassles to overcome with the insurance company, but she wants her van back because she loves that old van. It doesn’t matter that 35 years have gone by; she’s still attached to the old thing. “It was great in the snow. It had a lousy heater, but I kind of fell in love with it.” She’s just connected to the thing.

We persevere and overcome simply because we’re convincingly connected to God. We become persistent in prayer, enduring in trial, encouraging in suffering and joyously victorious in all sorts of situations because we are unshakably convinced of our connection to Almighty God. We become the sort of people who persistently forgive not seven, but seventy seven times. We keep on offering love even when love is rejected. We don’t give up when others do. We’re connected! We don’t let failure take our eyes off the prize – we’ll stand at the DMV as long as we must in order to accomplish what we believe Almighty God calls us to accomplish. We eventually become just like that persistent widow who keeps coming back to God in prayer because we are utterly convinced God will answer our prayers. We persistently knock at the door because we are utterly convinced of our connection to the One just beyond the door.

I wonder if any of us fully realize how badly our Heavenly Father wants us to get in the big game and win. Our coach is not some crabby guy who doesn’t particularly like us much and won’t put us in the game. Our coach is that father who loves us, the father cheering for us and taking our picture, the father who gets angry when we are mistreated – who can’t even talk about our victories without tearing up. That is the One who holds us firmly in His hands. Our is the One who will never to let us go. That is the One who gave up everything to joyously bring home what was stolen and repair what was broken. Once we become convinced of our connections to this powerfully dear One who loves us, we will persevere. We will overcome.

As an Army guy, I don’t know hardly anything about Navy ships. But nonetheless, I now have a favorite one. This is the USS New York, christened just a few days ago, setting sail on November 12th. It isn’t particularly glamorous or sophisticated, its mission is mostly simple Marine troop transport, but it was at least partially built from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. And it was constructed near New Orleans by people in the midst of dealing with the horrible destruction of Hurricane Katrina. I love that! Oh boy, I love that a lot!

This hulking warship is a metaphor for everything we want to become as Christians. I believe Almighty God is calling each one of us to become exactly this kind of powerful people - persistently able to take the awful wreckage left behind by the devil and rebuild it into something strong and overcoming. Though the towers will always fall and the storms will rage around us, we’re called to become people able to pick up the pieces and soldier on because we are convinced of our connections to the One who loves us.

May we persevere!

May we overcome all we are called to overcome – all that simply must be overcome!

By the power and presence of the Holy Spirit working within us, may we never take our eyes from the prize! May we endure all the groaning birth pangs of the end by the comforting power of the Holy Spirit and the sure conviction of our calling! And may we become so joyously and increasingly convinced of our connection to the King, quitting won’t even occur to us!

Amen.

Captain America

 

This was probably my favorite costume of our annual church Harvest Party. This little guy was very happy to be Captain America, even though the costume was now too small. There is a story here, but I haven't found it yet.

Peace Passing Understanding (John 14:27)

Where do we find peace?

Were you aware, depending on which Bible translation is used, the word “peace” appears 430 times in over 400 places in the Bible? And that’s just the one particular word – the idea of peace is one of the most critically important themes in the entire book. Almighty God has lavishly smeared peace throughout His Word.

In Numbers 6, as priests were being trained in their duties, God gave them a blessing for the people. “The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Psalm 119:165 tells us, “Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” God wants us to know the peace of His Word. Proverbs 14:30 says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body.” And as Isaiah prophesies the coming Messiah, we hear “for to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.” Paul makes clear in Romans 5 that this Jesus Isaiah was dreaming of would be the source of our peace. “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” And zooming back to Isaiah again, we are reminded that steadfastly trusting in God and His plans for us is the key to our peace. “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” And Jesus makes this source of peace even more explicitly clear when He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” The Apostle Paul, suffering and writing from various jail cells, glories in this peace when he says in Philippians that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God’s Word absolutely wallows in peace!

And yet this peace is something we must pursue. In Colossians 3:15, we are told we must intentionally “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” We must intentionally and repeatedly remind ourselves of what we know to be true – that Jesus “himself is our peace” and that “God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” Peace is part of the very nature of our God. We must fully understand the staggering importance of peace in our lives. In a truly stunning passage, James tells us “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” Second only to purity, peace-loving is most important. We’re supposed to be intentional about this stuff. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on [us], live at peace with everyone.” The writer to the Hebrews says it even more explicitly. “Make every effort to live in peace with all people and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

Do you see the explicit linkage between holiness and peace? Isn’t that amazing and thought-provoking? I don’t think I’m stretching things much when I declare that, next to our righteousness, holiness and purity, what God cares most about is our peace! Stunning!

And yet there are some very mixed messages in Scripture about peace, aren’t there? In Ecclesiastes, we hear the wise Teacher tell us “there is a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” What? A time for war? What about the importance of peace?

Things get even more challenging and blunt when the LORD Jesus turns to His followers in Matthew 10:34-36 and says, “Do not suppose I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Wait a minute…aren’t you supposed to be the Prince of Peace? Luke’s gospel repeats the story and makes it even more explicit. “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” Well now, is that really Minnesota nice?

But if we zoom back to the Old Testament again, we hear the prophet Isaiah (who was the one who shared all that prophetic “Prince of Peace” stuff with us a moment ago) tell us “there is no peace for the wicked.” And what’s worse, even a cursory glance through the Old Testament makes very plain that peace was not always God’s primary thought. Sometimes peace took a back seat to purity, holiness and judgment. “If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.” Wipe out the evil city; man, woman and child!

And amazingly, sometimes crying out “peace” to the people is not evidence of godliness and goodness in Scripture, but rather horrible blindness to the brutal realities of life. As God was once speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to a bad group of leaders, he charged “they dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.” And at the end of time, as the birth pangs of the end are fully upon us, there will be fools doing the very same thing. The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that “while people are saying ‘peace and safety,’ destruction will on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” God is not just interested in peaceful words.

Yet there is no denying peace is smeared lavishly and graciously all over the Bible, in all sorts of ways. Almighty God is wildly interested in blessing us with peace. As the whole story winds to a close in the Revelation, the final conversation of the Bible begins with a peaceful blessing. “Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come.”

The Bible is full of peace, cover to cover.

Okay, enough already, Pastor; I get it – but what about my peace? All this Bible peace is well and good, but all those people are dead now. Your book is old now. What about my peace? What does some dusty collection of ancient ramblings have to do with what I’m living today?

LORD, if Jesus promised to leave His peace with us, then what happened in Pakistan last week? LORD, did you see that market blow up and all those grocery shopping girls get killed? Have you heard what this lunatic Ahmadinajad is saying; particularly about your chosen people? Or have you counted the bodies buried by that rapist monster in Cleveland? How do we make peace with all this utterly nauseating nastiness? How did you leave your peace in these places?

No offense, LORD, but have you tried to get a job down here lately? Have you seen our bureaucracy? And for those of us who have jobs, have you seen the people some of us are trapped into working for? All this peace talk is fine and dandy, but have you seen my boss?

And LORD, where have you been in my marriage? Where is your peace in my house? How am I supposed to live in perfect peace when I can’t even live in peace in my own house?

Did you see my life savings disappear? One bad day, one foul-smelling burp of the Wall Street money monster and now everything I’ve set aside and feverishly worked my entire life to accumulate is gone! How am I supposed to truly live in peace when I’m not even sure how I’m going to pay my mortgage, buy groceries and keep myself in blood pressure medicine?

And did you know the cancer came back? How am I supposed to feel peaceful as my body eats itself alive; utterly refusing to drown in the poison we’re trying to kill it with?

LORD, do you know how lonely I am? Do you know how hungry I am? Do you know how utterly addicted and hopeless I am? Do you know these things?

How do I make peace with all this? LORD, all your Bible peace stuff is well and good, but where is my peace? Honestly, where am I supposed to go right now to find my peace?

Peace With Ourselves

In our desperation to find peace in the midst of the mess, many of us resolve to simply find peace within ourselves. Consciously or perhaps unconsciously, we decide the only rational solution to our peace problem is internal consistency. I’m going to decide for myself what is right and wrong and let my own conscience be my guide. I’m going to find my peace within by looking within. I’m going to establish my own little ISO 9000, quality control, peace program. As long as I can consistently obey my own little rules for a peaceful life, I’ll be fine. I can’t control anything in the world around me, so I’m just going to concentrate on me.

But this doesn’t work well, does it? Not really – not in any meaningful or lasting way. The ground keeps shifting underneath us. The rules keep changing. Our peaceful standards keep rubbing up against the twisted and violent standards of others; other people just aren’t interested in doing what we say. Other people aren’t following our rules – they follow another program. Other people and life situations constantly keep sneaking in and stealing our peace…

Peace With Others

And so some of us decide the only rational alternative is to seek peace with others. We dedicate our lives to negotiation, mediation, compromise and the hard work of peacemaking. Believing none of us will know peace individually until we all embrace peace collectively, we fight the “haters” wherever we think we see them. We shove all that is black or white to the side and we very passionately embrace the grey whenever we possibly can. We believe it is only dogma that divides us and so we crave dualism and politically correct dignity for all. All we are saying, all we are praying, is give peace a chance. Right? We give our lives for the cause of peace with others. And this is a good, even godly desire, but it too is doomed to failure.

It just isn’t enough. We can’t work hard enough to achieve the peace we seek – the peace we need. We aren’t smart enough to overcome all the evil arguments and demonically possessed people and situations we will inevitably encounter in this life. The peace we need, the peace we crave cannot be won in negotiation, mediation, compromise and hard work.

Peace With God

The peace we need is found only in God. All the old Bible verses are still true right here, right now! Our LORD sees everything going on here; exponentially clearer than any of us ever could. The only way we will ever find peace in all this chaos is to find it in God. Only in finding peace with God will we ever find peace with others or with ourselves. Jesus has indeed left His peace with us, not as the world does, not by sparing us conflict and difficulty, but by giving us the miraculous ability to peacefully and serenely ride the waves. We can walk these raging waters and not fear! Until I find peace with God, I will find no lasting peace anywhere else.

Years ago, as a young soldier at Ft. Bragg, I had a little bumper sticker on my brand new Mazda pickup. It read simply, “No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace.” I carried that bumper sticker on my truck until one day, after returning from an awful, very depressing mission in Honduras, I decided my bumper sticker was too simplistic. As a Special Operations Command soldier at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, I felt peace was something entirely too complex to be reduced to a bumper sticker. And while I still believe that in many ways, after immersing myself in this peace issue once again, I don’t believe that little sticker is very simplistic at all.

This whole thing really is that simple. I know that sounds anti-intellectual and hard to believe. I know it sounds religiously bigoted, absolute and exclusive. But it is true – it really is. Read what the Bible clearly teaches about peace and how to find it and judge it all against the grim, violent realities of the world around us. I believe God will lead us all to one conclusion.

Folks, it is only in Jesus any of us can find peace with God, peace with others or peace with ourselves. As Paul told the Ephesians, Jesus himself is our peace. He is the fleshing out of all peace. He is the only doorway to peace with God, with others and ourselves. Peace is the very nature of the God we love and who loves us. Only God’s Word can teach us how to seek peace ourselves and truly live at peace with others. Only the peace of God can transcend our understanding and guard our hearts and minds. Only those steadfastly trusting in God will ever know peace in this world. Unless we first make peace with Almighty God by the sacrificed and resurrected body and blood of Jesus, we will make no peace elsewhere. It really is that simple. All lasting peace begins and ends in God. I beg you – wallow around in God’s peace for awhile!

This is Aaron Siebers from Denver, Colorado. Last Monday afternoon, 27 year old Aaron fell and ripped his Blockbuster khaki uniform pants while skateboarding. Concerned he would get punished by his store manager for not wearing his proper uniform pants to work, young Mr. Siebers decided drastic action was necessary. So he stabbed himself deeply in the leg, cut up his face and stomach a little and then showed up at Blockbuster claiming to have been attacked by three Hispanic males. Quite needless to say, his story quickly fell apart and he eventually confessed the truth to the investigating police officers. He now has a couple of misdemeanor charges to add to his ripped pants. His great peacemaking idea didn’t turn out so well...

It sounds a bit goofy, but people all around us every day are doing absolutely crazy stuff to try to keep themselves out of trouble, to fix whatever is broken – to some how make peace with their boss, their wife, their life in the scary world around them. Our hunger to avoid pain and find peace in this world often leads us into utterly bizarre directions. Instead of simply and honestly facing the truth of God’s Word, instead of embracing Jesus and making peace with God as we were created to do, people all around us are going to often ludicrous lengths to find peace in some other way. People are hurting themselves in their quest for peace…

But it isn’t working. It can’t work. For all our good intentions, for all our hard work and good ideas, looking for peace anywhere but in God will always leave us wounded, exhausted, looking foolish and worse off than when we began.

May each one of us give God a chance to bring us peace right in the middle of the mess! May the peace that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!

Amen.

How Do We Choose Our Leaders?

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A Million Miles - Donald Miller

As a middle-aged, reasonably content modernist, it is always difficult to review a Donald Miller book. They are so intensely autobiographical, it almost feels like attempting to rationalistically interact with someone else's miracle. A Donald Miller book is what it is - we may not always agree, we may be confused or concerned - but at the end of the day what we are presented with is a story.

And that is precisely the thought-provoking point of this book.

In his wonderful, humorous, self-deprecating way, Donald Miller, in his new book A Million Miles In a Thousand Years, challenges us all to consider the sort of story we're writing. What sort of story is being written for us? What sort of story are we living? In typical post-modern fashion, the book is long on questions and short on answers. But in typical Donald Miller fashion, we see again that perhaps a predominantly questioning book isn't such a bad thing.

It is only fitting that a book about about living a better story would be filled with so many thought-provoking stories, but that's Miller. I love the people Donald Miller has a habit of meeting! How useful for all of us that he met them!

While I suspect none of Donald Miller's books will have the impact or popularity of his wonderful Blue Like Jazz, this is another very worthy effort.

I would be dishonest, however, if I didn't include one final point of pastoral concern I have with Miller's work yet again. Perhaps I'm only mentioning this as a result of the last book I reviewed on this page (God and Guinness) or because this issue is becoming an increasingly obvious concern of mine, but I'm once again struck by the author's self-absorption and utter lack of any apparent concern for "stumbling" weaker brothers and sisters reading his work. Miller drinks wine and smokes throughout this entire book. At times, it almost seems as if a bottle of wine is a critically important character in the stories Miller is trying to promote. While, of course, Donald Miller and all others are completely free in Christ to act according to their own conscience on these issues, I question the wisdom of so constantly smearing this freedom in the faces of the readers of our stories. While Miller may not have alcohol and tobacco issues (although I would challenge any Christian to give me a biblical argument for smoking), many people do have lots of serious issues in these areas. I know we are working overtime to repaint our "Velvet Elvis" images of the church and what it means to be a Christian, but I am deeply troubled by this sort of behavior. Are alcohol and pipe tobacco really an essential part of the new story we're trying to embrace, Mr. Miller? Really? Let your conscience and God's Word be your guide, but the way this is handled concerns me.

I know expressing such ideas these days classifies me as yet another judgmental modernist and mostly dull, disconnected representative of all that is evil in "established religion," but I don't honestly care.

This story I'm living isn't supposed to be about me. Like Jesus who set everything aside so I could come home, I too must be willing to set aside what is rightfully mine so others might find and live a better story. I'm not supposed to be interested in just my story. I'm supposed to be living The Story.

Nothing should be allowed to distract from that Story...not even the very cool stories of Donald Miller.